Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

लिंगं प्रतिष्ठयामास ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तॄणा । पुनर्वर्षसहस्रं तु पूजयामास शंकरम्

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhayāmāsa brahmaṇā lokakartṝṇā | punarvarṣasahasraṃ tu pūjayāmāsa śaṃkaram

Translation

लोककर्त्या ब्रह्म्याच्या द्वारा त्याने लिंगाची प्रतिष्ठा केली; आणि पुन्हा सहस्र वर्षे शंकराची भक्तिभावाने पूजा केली।

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठयामास: established
• प्रतिष्ठयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative-stem sense ‘to establish’

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• लोककर्तॄणा: by the creator of the worlds
• लोककर्तॄणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘ब्रह्मणा’)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• वर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रम्: Karma (Extent/duration as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• तु: indeed / then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• पूजयामास: worshipped
• पूजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative-stem sense ‘to worship’

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, Candra (Somnātha) stands in devotion as Brahmā, the world-creator, performs the formal installation of a radiant liṅga; the sea-breeze, conch-sounds, and lamp-flames frame a thousand-year arc of worship implied by the verse.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is both establishment (creating a lasting locus of worship) and perseverance (long, faithful pūjā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and extended worship form the sacred foundation of the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) and prolonged pūjā of Śaṅkara are explicitly described.